What's New!

Pikes Peak Library District sparks development, opportunity, and inspiration for everyone across El Paso County. Whether you've got a young one who's learning to read, or you're a lifelong learner looking for a new skill, the library has something for you.

We are excited to share stories of how the Library positively impacts the lives of our patrons.

Shirley Dale, PPLD's current Maker in Residence, has been creating in one way or another since childhood, applying this creativity in many different endeavors and careers. The joy of creating and the belief that everyone has the ability to create art have been constants throughout her life. Shirley has worked with many different mediums as a teacher and artist, always finding exciting, creative possibilities with whatever art materials are at hand. She is currently working with acrylics for monotype prints as finished pieces, and also for use in mixed media collage pieces.

She will be teaching classes throughout Pikes Peak Library District and hosting Meet the Maker in Residence sessions in the CreateSpace at Library 21c.

Monotype Printing without a Press
Monotype prints are one-of-a-kind prints. Learn how to create these unique prints using different types of plates and paints! Experiment with stencils, masking, colors, and pressure. Attendees will gain an understanding of basic printmaking using simple, easy-to-find materials. More importantly, attendees will have lots of fun creating at this class and will leave with beautiful, unique pieces of art.

Please help ensure that other patrons have the opportunity to participate in this program by only registering for one session.

Meet the Maker in Residence
Visit with Shirley Dale and see her work on a special Colorado-themed printmaking project in CreateSpace at Library 21c.
Wed., March 13 from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Thu., March 21 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Tue., April 2 from noon - 3 p.m.
Sat., April 13 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Mon., April 15 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Overdue books? Fear not. Pikes Peak Library District will no longer charge you for being a little bit late on your returns.

The library will officially eliminate overdue fines Fri., Feb. 1, just in time for a county-wide celebration of Library Lover’s Month. Patrons will no longer be financially penalized for books that are late in returning to the library.

“Our mission as an organization is to eliminate barriers to information and resources, not create them,” said Director of Library Services Tim Blevins. “We had a trial run of eliminating overdue fines and didn’t see longer hold times for patrons, but did see a positive impact on borrowing. It makes perfect sense for us to permanently eliminate these fines.”

Fines, Blevins says, are particularly prohibitive for the community’s most vulnerable families. Plus, overdue fines accounted for less than one percent of the library’s overall revenue in 2017.

There will still be fees assessed for lost or damaged materials. Materials are considered lost if they are 21 days overdue.

Additionally, Pikes Peak Library District will roll out automatic renewals later on in Library Lover’s Month. The day before books are due, the library’s system will automatically renew them up to two times, so long as no other patron placed a hold on the material.

There are some exceptions to the materials that can be automatically renewed, like rapid reads, e-materials, and equipment checkouts.

“What we’ve seen here, and in library facilities across the country, is that by taking these steps to increase ease of access to materials, use of library resources and checkouts is positively impacted,” Blevins said. “We’re here to help people access the resources they need to achieve their goals. This is just one more way for us to do a better job of achieving that mission.”

We want to celebrate your successes! Pikes Peak Library District is looking for stories about how our resources and staff have helped enrich minds, fuel learning and growth, spark imagination and ideas, build community and connections, and/or achieve goals.

PPLD invites you to participate in 2019’s Winter Adult Reading Program A Universe of Stories! From Feb. 1 - March 31, read books and attend Library programs to win prizes. This year we are challenging you to try something new! While you still have the option of reading 8 books in 8 weeks to win reading prizes, you can now participate in 4 activities in place of reading 4 books.

Featured Programs

Winter Adult Reading Program Kickoff Parties
Join us for the kickoff of the Winter Adult Reading Program: A Universe of Stories. Come enjoy a hot chocolate bar, find some new reads, and participate in a book swap. Staff members will be on hand to help you register and the first 30 people who register in person at the party will receive a limited edition tote bag. All ages welcome to the party. The reading program is open to ages 18 and up.

Durthy Washington presents Reading in Reverse: Discovering "the Classics"
This class invites participants to discover classic literature by “reading in reverse.” Creating your reading list for the New Year? Then you won’t want to miss this class!

Dr. Wanda Tisby Cousar and Ron Cousar present African Storytelling, Drumming, and Percussion
Join Dr. Wanda Tisby Cousar and Ron Cousar for a Black History Month program that will include a West African Dance performed to drumming. They will also tell the true story of the Lion King using an African instrument called a Balafon.

Ann Doolan-Fox presents The Celtic Road Home
Join Ann Doolan-Fox as she discusses her book, The Celtic Road Home. The book tells the story of her childhood, international adventurous travels, and life journey until the present day.

Linda Batlin presents Folktales Around the World
Join Linda Batlin for a potpourri of multicultural folktales from around the world, some classic tales, some whimsical stories but all certain to educate and entertain.

Choose a country you will magically arrive in, real or imaginary. Then use your best sensory details to describe your first impressions in the form of a poem. Think about landscape, people, animals, foods, even emotions and ideas you have as you begin to orient yourself.

Think about all of your five senses. What do you sense around you in this new place?

You are allowed to research your country to learn a little about what you might encounter, or simply to use your imagination to describe a real or imaginary place. Include the name of your country in the title of your poem.

We will select six winners, who will receive $50 each, a book, and a Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration poster!

Eligibility
Open to all fourth and fifth graders in the Pikes Peak region.

Winners will be announced in April. An award ceremony will be held April 13, 2019.

Rules

One entry per student. Teachers are urged to review poems and submit no more than five per class.

Each poems must be the original work of the student.

Poems will be judged on originality, including poem title and adherence to the theme.

Submit two typed, double-spaced copies of each poem on 8.5” x 11” paper. No handwritten copies or illustrations accepted. Please include on a separate piece of paper: name, phone number, home address, school name and address, and teacher and principal’s name. Poems will not be returned. Please keep a copy.

Entries must be postmarked by Sat., March 2, 2019.

Submission of a poem constitutes full permission to exhibit, use and publish the poem for any purpose – printed or electronic media – and to publish the name, school, and photographs of the student without compensation.

Are you thinking about retiring in the next few years? Are you unsure about how health insurance and Medicare will affect you once you turn 65? Are you helping your parents navigate their Medicare coverage? Join us to learn about Medicare and your health insurance options. Come get unbiased information from AAA Senior Insurance Team to help you successfully navigate your transition to Medicare and retirement.

Have an adventure with Pikes Peak Library District this summer! Kids and teens (ages 0 - 18) can win prizes through reading and activities, and we will be hosting many free, fun events. You can track your progress online or with game cards available at all PPLD locations.

Our title for teens and young adults is Flying Lessons and Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh. Flying Lessons was published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books.

Our children's title is Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña. Last Stop on Market Street was the 2016 Newbery Award winner.

This fall we will present a variety of programs to the community including author visits, film screenings, community discussions and panel presentations, theater productions, art installations and gallery exhibitions, and more. We will be undertaking many of these with our community partners.

We are delighted that our selected authors will be able to join us in the fall. Helen Thorpe will be visiting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 2 at Library 21c. Matt de la Peña (who also wrote a short story included in Flying Lessons and Other Stories) will visit at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 8 at Library 21c.

Repair Café is a neighborhood initiative that promotes repair as an alternative to tossing things out. At a Repair Café you’ll find the tools and materials needed to repair your broken items, as well as knowledgeable volunteers who will show you how to do it. Repair Trainers will offer a diagnosis and suggested remedy for broken items, repairing items when possible and otherwise explaining what parts you may need to obtain to complete the repair.

PPLD's Maker in Residence for January/February 2018 was Charlie Mussi, an award-winning retired photojournalist whose work has appeared in national newspapers, international magazines, and table-top books. In 2001, he was recognized as one of the world's 125 finest photographers and set out on a unique global photographic essay to record "A Day in the Life of the U.S. Armed Forces." Since retiring, Charlie has rediscovered the fun of photography and enjoys teaching, coaching, and conducting photography workshops. In 2015, Charlie started the PPLD Community Photography Contest to recognize the amazing photography talent in the region.

Charlie taught Digital Photography as Art & Play classes throughout the Library District, as well as hosted studio hours at Library 21c, where patrons could talk to him about his work.

At an awards ceremony on Mon., Nov. 27, 2017 at the Antlers hotel, Pikes Peak Library District was named Best Workplace by The Gazette in the Extra Large Company (300+ employees) category.

According to The Gazette, PPLD "ranked high among its employees in social responsibility, providing meaningful work, confidence in leadership, being a place workers would recommend to others for employment and operating with strong values and ethics."

Is math homework getting you down? Are finals freaking you out? Do you need to brush up before the ACT, SAT, GRE, or GED? Our experienced math tutors can help you improve your grades and take the stress out of math. Tutoring for all ages and levels.

PPLD's Maker in Residence in August/September 2017 was Deb Bartos, who has always been fascinated with new discoveries in the natural world and has been hiking and exploring for as long as she can remember. Rediscovering creative expression in painting as an adult has enhanced her learning to see even more in nature. Her work is best categorized as realistic impressionism, as she captures light and color often on location in oil. To see some of her work, visit DebBartos.com.

She will be taught Painting in Water-soluble Oils classes throughout the Library District, as well as hosting studio hours at Library 21c, when she discussed her work.

This program is a partnership with the Colorado Department of Education, State Library, local library systems, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. It is meant to encourage Coloradans to visit our State Parks and experience all of the great outdoor recreation that this state has to offer.

PPLD's Maker/Artist in Residence for March /April 2017 was Linda Smith, an artist and art educator who started a non-profit while living in Kigali, Rwanda, called the “TEOH Project”, which provides cameras and art classes to children in Rwanda, Ghana and Bronx NY. She has been commissioned by the UN to provide photographic classes to survivors and former perpetrators of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. She earned her BA from Syracuse University an MA in Communications at Goldsmith College at the University of London and an MFA from the University of Connecticut. Her work has been exhibited in the United Nations, embassies, and universities.

PPLD now has Sorenson videophones and Video Relay Service-equipped laptops available for patron use. VRS allows people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired to communicate using American Sign Language through video equipment. It replaces TTY or Text Telephone.

Beginning Jan. 9, 2017, PPLD will no longer charge fines on overdue children and teen items. Removing overdue fines will provide greater opportunity for children and teens to use the full range of library services. Currently, 15% of children and teen cardholders are blocked from checking out items at the library due to overdue fines.

Also, overdue fines on DVDs and games will be reduced from 25 cents per day to 10 cents per day.

PPLD seeks to foster literacy and life-long learning for children and teens. The Library regularly evaluates policies to see what barriers for service exist and evaluates how to eliminate such barriers. The Library’s Board of Trustees approved the new policy at their December meeting.

Items that will not accrue overdue fines must be designated as “juvenile” or “teen” in the Library catalog. The policy will take effect for any items checked out January 9 or after. Lost item and damage fees will still apply.

Overdue notices will still be sent as reminders to return Library items. Items not returned within 21 days of the due date will be considered lost, and the full cost of the item will be charged to the patron’s account.

Yearning for a change from her Midwest living Jo moved to Colorado less than 18 months ago. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications. She has worked in the art and design fields throughout her career in the corporate, private, ad agency and not-for-profit sectors. Jo primarily works in clay making sculptural objects with a focus on feminine concerns. Recently she has been making utilitarian pieces and mixing multiple surface decoration techniques to create a balance between discord and harmony. Jo likes to make everyday and if she can’t she is sad.

As a California native and self-taught baker, current PPLD Artist in Residence Christine Yocum was introduced to baking at a young age by her father and grandmother. Imagine a former left tackle in college teaching his nine-year-old daughter the finer points of cookie-making. Those sweet moments birthed in her a lifelong passion for baking—in particular cookies—and the eventual opening of Art & Style Baking, an online gourmet cookie company specializing in hand-painted cookies.

Even now, when her hands are steeped in cookie dough, she can sense his tender nod of encouragement and approval. While her dad passed away before he could enjoy "the fruits of his labor," her tender-hearted daughter assures her that he would be proud.

Christine will host classes throughout the Library District about cookie painting, as well as open studio hours at Library 21c where you can watch her work and talk to her about her art.

Disclaimer:
PPLD is not responsible for nor does it endorse the content of non-PPLD websites, programs, and events. Users should use critical judgment in relying on information found in these resources and determine what information is appropriate to their needs.